The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has launched corruption probes against key figures leading the protest against NBR reforms, including Additional Commissioner Hasan Tarek Rikabdar and NBR Member AKM Badiul Alam.

ACC Director General Md Akhtar Hossain announced the development at a press briefing on Sunday, saying total six NBR officials have been put under scanner.

The officials facing inquiry are: AKM Badiul Alam, Member (Income Tax Policy); Mirza Ashiq Rana, Additional Tax Commissioner, Tax Zone-8, Dhaka; Mohammad Morshed Uddin Khan, Joint Tax Commissioner, BCS Tax Academy; Monalisa Shahreen Sushmita, Deputy Tax Commissioner, Tax Zone-16, Dhaka; Hasan Tarek Rikabdar, Additional Commissioner, Audit, Intelligence and Investigation Directorate, VAT, Dhaka; and Sadhan Kumar Kundu, Additional Commissioner, Customs, Excise and VAT Commissionerate, Dhaka (South).

All six of them are among the officials leading the NBR protests. Among them, Hasan Tarek is the president of NBR Reform Unity Parishad.

The probes have been launched following proper scrutiny and with an unbiased approach, the ACC chief confirmed.

When asked whether the inquiry was linked to the ongoing movement within the NBR, he denied any such connection. "There is no relation between the movement and the inquiry.

"The decision was made following the recommendation of the preliminary scrutiny committee, which reviewed the complaints submitted to the commission," he said.

Akhtar also added that if similar allegations arise against other individuals beyond the six already named, the ACC would examine those as well.

Regarding the allegations against the six, Akhtar said the officials are accused of abusing their positions over the past 20-25 years across various postings by enabling individuals and institutions to evade duties, VAT, and taxes.

In doing so, they personally profited while causing financial losses to the state, engaging in corruption, nepotism, and irregularities to amass illegal wealth beyond known sources of income, he said.

The ACC official continued, "Several unscrupulous members and officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) are allegedly accepting large bribes in exchange for helping taxpayers evade taxes and duties. It has been reported that officials, in collusion with business owners, reduce the payable tax amounts for personal gain, depriving the government of substantial annual revenue."

He added that in some cases, when officials do not receive bribes, they resort to filing false tax evasion cases to harass business owners.

"Many taxpayers pay advance taxes, and some even pay more than required. According to regulations, any excess must be refunded after proper calculation.

"However, from our analysis and complaints from concerned individuals, it appears that receiving tax refunds often requires paying bribes or offering gifts worth at least half the refundable amount. There are allegations that tax officials personally pocket large sums during this refund process," Akhtar said.